Stop means for pneumatic door checks

ABSTRACT

A SETTABLE STOP MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC DOOR CHECKS. A COILED SPRING HAVING AN INNER DIAMETER SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE PISTON ROD OF THE DOOR CHECK IS PLACED AROUND THE ROD, AND THE OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF THE COILED SPRING ARE BENT IN THE SAME DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE COILED SPRING, AND ARE THEN BENT OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID AXIS. THE COIL SPRING FITS LOOSELY ON THE ROD, WITH THE END PORTIONS EXTENDING TOWARD THE CYLINDER OF THE DOOR CHECK, SO THAT THE STOP MEANS CAN BE MOVED ALONG THE PISTON ROD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DOOR CHECK.

United States Patent 3,566,435 STOP MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC DOOR CHECKS Kazuo Nakamura, Kashihara, Osaka, Japan, assignor to ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A settable stop means for pneumatic door checks. A coiled spring having an inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the piston rod of the door check is placed around the rod, and the opposite end portions of the coiled spring are bent in the same direction substantially parallel to the axis of the coiled spring, and are then bent outwardly away from said axis. The coil spring fits loosely on the rod, with the end portions extending toward the cylinder of the door check, so that the stop means can be moved along the piston rod into engagement with the door check.

The present invention relates to a settable stop means for pneumatic door checks.

Conventionally, a settable stop attachment which is angularly bent is loosely fitted on the piston rod of the door check, so that there is no trouble when the door is being opened, but if it is neglected to manually displace the settable stop atachment at the time of closing of the door, this can result in an impediment to the opening and closing function of the door, sometimes distorting or even destroying door fastener hinges.

Such drawbacks can be eliminated by the present invention providing an improved settable stop means which may be associated with a known door check of the type having an air cylinder adapted to be advanced against the force of a spring contained therein in course of opening the door and to be returned automatically upon releasing the door, said stop means being characterized in that it comprises a coiled annular attachment slidably fitted on the portion of the piston-equipped rod of the air cylinder projecting outwardly of the air cylinder, the opposite end portions of said annular attachment being bent in mutually contacted relation and substantially parallel to the axis of said rod to form buffer projections, the extensions of said end portions being bent, outwardly and droopingly, the bend being opposed to the end surface of the air cylinder. In an embodiment of the invention it is so arranged that as the piston is located at the right-hand end of the cylinder when the door is opened, the settable stop means is manually moved to bring the bends of the extensions of the buffer projections into abutment against the end surface of the air cylinder, whereby the coiled annular attachment and the rod are pressed against each other at urging points and at the same time the buffer projections exert a moment around the axis of the rod with the points of contact between the air cylinder and the buifer projections as points of action of force, thereby serving to increase the force of the spring in the air cylinder, making firm the locking engagement between the coiled annular attachment and the rod (for securing the opened state of the door), and in the case of closing the door, the annular attachment is manually displaced to its free position apart from the end surface of the air cylinder, whereupon the air cylinder is urged by the reversing "ice force of the spring contained therein whereby the door is closed quietly.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a settable stop means according to the invention;

FIG. 2. is a side elevation as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows IIlI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the present means; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating the mode of operation.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the opposite end portions of a closely coiled spring 2 of a steel wire of suitable elasticity having an inner diameter slightly larger than the piston rod 1 of a pneumatic door check are bent in the same direction in mutually contacted relation and substantially parallel to the axis of the coiled spring 2, and the thus bent steel wire end portions are further bent outwardly to form buffer projections 3.

The thus constructed settable stop attachment a is fitted on the piston rod 1, as shown in FIG. 3, with the buffer projections 3 opposed to the end wall 5 of the cylinder 4. In the drawing, the reference characters b and 0 denote a fastener attachment and a bracket, respectively, for providing a pivotal connection between one end of the piston rod 1 and the outer side wall 6 of a door.

The function and effectiveness of the present invention will now be described.

The operation of opening the door will first be described. As the piston of the door check is located at the pivoted side (righthand end, in the drawing) of the air cylinder 4 when the door is opened, the settable stop attachment a is manually displaced along the piston rod 1 until it abuts against the end wall 5 of the air cylinder 4 (see FIG. 3), so that a spring 7 contained in the air cylinder 4 urges the end portions of the buffer projections 3 of the settable stop attachment a abutting against the end wall 5 to cause the coiled spring 2 to abut against the piston rod 1 at locking points B, B as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, the coiled spring 2 and piston rod 1 are locked together by means of a torque developed across the locking points B, B. Accordingly, the door is maintained in its opened position. Thus it is possible to check the door at any desired angular position by suitably selecting a position to which the settable stop attachment is displaced.

Next, the operation of the closing the door will be described. As the buffer projections 3 of the settable stop attachment a and the end wall 5 of the air cylinder 4 are urged against each other by the spring 7 when the door is in its opened and checked position, as described above, the door is slightly pushed for a little greater degree of opening to release the settable stop attachment a while manually displacing the latter leftwardly of the piston rod 1 (i.e. toward the side at which the door is hinged to the door frame) to a phantom line position shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the air cylinder 4 is moved to the left by the action of the spring 7 since there is no obstacle to such movement, until it abuts against the buffer projections of the settable stop attachment, which has previously been manually displaced and set there, and at such position the door is thereby buffered and checked. In this manner the door is quietly and smoothly closed.

March 2,1971 KAZUO NAKAMURA 3,566,435

STOP MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC DOOR CHECKS Filed Jun 27, 1969 FIGZ INVENTOR KAZUO NAKAMURA 'wmwa /zwzw ATTORNEYS 

